The morning sun slipped through Rey's window, golden rays warming the wooden floor. He stretched his arms and legs, shaking off the last traces of sleep. Today, he had a plan.
Heading downstairs, he found his mother, Rika, already cooking by the hearth, the smell of herbs and soup filling the air. Outside, through the window, his father, Rio, swung his sword in precise arcs, each strike cutting through the air with practiced strength.
"Rey, where are you going so early?" Rika asked, glancing back at him with a gentle smile.
"Just the forest, Mom," Rey replied quietly.
"This early? At least eat first," she insisted, setting fresh bread on the table.
Rey nodded and joined them. The three of them sat together—bread, soup, and laughter filling the quiet morning. Rey rarely spoke, but today, he ate quickly, his eyes sharper than usual.
As he stood to leave, Rika called, "Come back by lunch, alright?"
"I will," Rey said, waving.
"Hey, Rey!" Rio's deep voice rang out. He tossed something across the room. Rey caught it with both hands—a dagger, its edge faintly gleaming.
"That's for you. If you run into trouble, defend yourself," Rio said.
Rey gripped the weapon, bowing his head slightly. "…Thanks, Father."
And with that, he ran toward the village exit, his heart pounding with anticipation.
---
The forest welcomed him with rustling leaves and distant bird calls. Rey tightened his grip on the dagger.
"Time to test if my theory's true," he whispered. "I'll start small… something with a number 12 or lower. Goblins, maybe slimes."
He combed through bushes, eyes sharp. After minutes of searching, a strange sound reached his ears.
Flap. Flap. Flap.
He followed it carefully until he found a group of slimes bouncing lazily in a clearing.
Perfect.
One slime suddenly sprang at him from behind, faster than he expected. Before he could even turn—
The ∞ symbol on his hand glowed. The slime froze mid-air before popping like a bubble, leaving behind a glowing gem that clattered to the ground.
Rey spun around, wide-eyed. "…What the hell?"
Two more slimes charged at him. Again, the mark on his hand flared. Their numbers plummeted from 12 → 0, and they burst instantly.
Rey stared at the fallen gems, his breath caught in his throat.
"Could it be… this only activates when I'm attacked from behind?" He rubbed his chin, frowning. "No… that wolf yesterday—it happened when I was in danger, not just from behind."
Two more slimes bounced forward. This time, Rey tightened his grip on the dagger. He sidestepped the first, slashing down. The slime burst. The other lunged, but Rey ducked and stabbed upward, popping it instantly.
He exhaled. "…Guess that's all of them."
Counting the gems, he found ten in total. "That's worth about five copper coins."
But he wasn't done yet. He wandered deeper into the forest, hunting goblins and slimes alike. The goblins, once their numbers hit zero, were dragged screaming into the Abyss by black hands. The slimes left behind gems.
Each kill, each moment, Rey couldn't shake the thought.
(Where do those numbers go? …Is it into this symbol?)
His thoughts were interrupted as a goblin swung its crude club at him from behind.
The mark glowed.
The goblin's number fell to 0. The ground beneath it cracked open, a black arm dragging it into darkness.
Rey's chest tightened. "…So even if someone tries to strike me from behind… their number will drop instantly."
It was terrifying. Dangerous. But also powerful.
Before he could think more, his stomach growled loudly. "…Oh. Lunch."
The sun was already dipping lower, orange hues staining the sky. As Rey made his way back, he gathered berries—blueberries, strawberries, whatever he could find.
He paused to admire the fiery sunset. "Beautiful…"
But then—
Grey smoke filled the horizon.
Rey blinked, tilting his head. "Smoke? Must be a party."
But as he stepped closer, his world shattered.
The village. His home.
Engulfed in flames.
His hands trembled. The berries slipped from his grasp, falling uselessly to the dirt.
Sweat beaded down his cheek as his wide eyes took in the horror. Houses burned to cinders. People lay strewn across the ground, their hands glowing faintly with numbers—lifeless numbers. Blood stained the dirt.
"No… who… who did this?" Rey whispered, his voice breaking.
He sprinted toward his home, heart hammering. Their house was on flame, roof collapsing inward. And there—against a wall—
"Father!" Rey screamed.
Rio sat slumped, blood dripping from his mouth, his arm severed. His breath came shallow and weak.
"Rey…" he whispered, eyes barely open. "Run. Don't ever return here…"
"What happened? Where's Mother!?" Rey cried, clutching his father's shoulders.
Rio's lips trembled. "…Your mother is… gone. There's no time… go—!"
Thwip.
A black needle pierced Rio's chest. His body went limp.
Rey's eyes widened in horror. "…No…"
A shadow fell over him. He turned—and froze.
Two figures floated above the burning village.
One had three horns, its claws long and jagged, wings of a devil unfurling behind it. It scratched its ear lazily. "Tch. These humans are weak."
The other's body was covered in bulging muscle, flames burning from its back, sharp teeth bared in a cruel grin. "Weak, but plentiful. Let's just collect their numbers."
Their eyes turned toward Rey.
"Hey," the horned one sneered. "A survivor."
The flame-backed monster smirked. "Heh. Guess one got lucky."
"Let me finish him," the three-horned one growled.
The flame-backed demon closed his eyes. "…Do it."
In an instant, the horned demon vanished. Rey barely reacted before it appeared behind him, claws descending—
The ∞ symbol erupted with light.
The demon froze, its eyes widening. Its number plummeted.
"Wh—what!?" It staggered back, retreating to its partner.
The flame-backed demon frowned. "What happened?"
The three-horned one trembled. "His mark… the moment I got close, my number dropped! I—it nearly went to zero!"
"Ridiculous," the other scoffed. "He's just a boy."
"Try it yourself then!" the horned one barked.
With a snarl, flames flared behind the muscular demon. "Fine. Watch."
He shot forward, closing the distance.
The ∞ pulsed. His number dipped. His eyes widened. He reappeared by his partner's side, sweat dripping.
"…You're right."
The three-horned one smirked. "Told you."
"Doesn't matter," the flame-backed demon growled. "We'll kill him anyway."
Rey's instincts screamed. He turned and ran, sprinting toward the village exit.
"Running, huh?" The flame-backed demon pointed. Dark needles shot forward. Rey dodged frantically, rolling across burning ground.
The horned one raised both arms. Fireballs formed in a deadly circle, launching at once. Rey barely vaulted over a fence, diving into the forest. Explosions roared behind him.
The horned demon gave chase. "You can't run, boy!"
Flames scorched the trees as they rained around him. The forest ignited, smoke choking the air.
Rey stumbled into a clearing—before a waterfall. Nowhere left to run.
The three-horned demon grinned, lifting a hand. "Die!"
A massive ball of fire formed above, heat distorting the air. It launched downward, roaring toward Rey.
With no choice, Rey jumped into the waterfall.
BOOM!
The fireball exploded, blasting the ground apart. Debris rained everywhere. Underwater, Rey's body was battered by stone, his arms and legs cut, blood mixing with the current. His vision darkened.
"…No…" His voice gurgled before fading into unconsciousness.
The horned demon hovered above, watching blood seep through the water. He smirked. "Guess that's done."
He returned to the village, leaving the river behind.
The flame-backed demon continued his harvest, tearing numbers from corpses. One by one, villagers' marks dimmed to zero, the Abyss claiming them with black arms.
Meanwhile, Rey's body drifted unconscious downstream. The river carried him away, until finally, it nudged him onto the muddy bank, where he lay broken, the ∞ still glowing faintly on his hand.